The Hidden Cost of Menís Suit Alterations

Congratulations! You have just bought your new menís suit off-the-rack. But if you are like most men, buying the suit is just Stage 1 of the laborious process. Subsequent youíll need to make any number of alterations to obtain the suit fitting you just right - and donít forget you will need to go through this process each and every time you purchase a new suit. Ouch!

So what exactly are most common alterations made to menís suit? And just how much are these suit alterations likely to cost you when it comes to your time and cash?

If you speak to local alterations companies, itís not unheard of for somebody to buy new menís business suits or even wedding suits for $800 or more only to need to invest an additional $200 to alter the sleeves, trouser length and jacket chest to obtain the suit fitting correct.

Weíve discovered the average alterations cost for a new menís suit is in the order of $75 to $100. Add to this the time you waste going backwards and forwards to your local alterations company and that off-the-rack suit you simply bought is not feeling as great as when you first attempted it on.

The top 4 most typical suit alterations required to off-the-rack suits

1 - Trouser length taken up/down

Nearly every off-the-rack suit sold will need you to adjust the trouser length. This really is a fairly easy process which should cost you from $8 to $25. Any much more than that and youíre getting ripped off.

2 - Sleeve length shortening / lengthening

Jacket sleeves would be the subsequent most typical alteration required. So while you might find a suit jacket that fits you okay around the chest, often the sleeves would be the incorrect length and aren't reduce to show off the right amount of shirt sleeve. Based on whether the jacket sleeve can be taken up/down in the end or in the shoulder, adjusting the sleeve length can be cheap or expensive. Anticipate to pay anywhere from $30 to $60 to adjust in the sleeve end and within the area of $100 to modify from the shoulder.

3 - Jacket length shortening / lengthening

Adjusting the length of the jacket can also be extremely typical. This often happens exactly where an off-the-rack suit came in the right chest dimension for you; however it didnít come in the right [S]hort, [R]egular or [L]ong length. This requires the length of the jacket to be adjusted - just enough to cover your posterior. This adjustment may cost anyplace from $50 to $100.

4 - Jacket chest tightening / loosening

When the jacket isnít the proper size around your chest, this could be a big issue requiring a great deal of alterations function. If purchasing off-the-rack, it is vitally important which you get the chest size right. However in the event you havenít and need the chest adjusted expect to pay anyplace from $50 - $150 to get the adjustment made.

There is a better way!

Sometimes, even when you had been to make all of those modifications, your suit will still not fit you completely. You might discover that the sleeve circumference is as well loose or tight about your upper arm or even your trouser leg is not slim enough. This is especially the case for men with physique shapes that are either extremely muscular or extremely slim.

If you are thinking that all of the extra price and wasted time of suit alterations is something which you would rather avoid there is a better way- that's custom tailored suits. As custom tailored suits are made to measure (i.e. made for your precise body measurements taken by an expert tailor), they are guaranteed to fit you completely without the need for you to pay for alterations.

However the greatest component is that your measurements are usually kept on file. This indicates that the next time you need a suit, jacket or even a shirt it is a breeze. You will not even need to get re-measured. All you need to do is choose the fabric you want and you are able to rest assured that your suit will fit you completely in all departments.

Just picture how handy would it be to have completely fitting clothing every time?

A word of warning

When choosing a custom tailor, please beware of online custom suit companies. The main reason for this really is that you need to take your personal measurements and that their guarantees around alterations are frequently extremely restrictive.
You are always better off discovering a good tailor in your local region who offers custom suiting. Not just will they provide you design guidance and solution any of your questions, theyíll also possess a lot more options for you personally to select from. Nearby tailors are also looking to type long-term relationships with their clients and so they'll tend to look following you a lot much better.

Numerous men find the process so gratifying that they maintain going back for all their clothes needs!

However like something else, do shop about 1st.

Note: Costs within this Article are stated in $AUD at January 1 2012.

Martin Scicluna is an expert in Mens Suits . He has been writing articles on similar topics such as Wedding Suits for nearly 2 years.